Bottle-stopper



J. A. STUKEY. BOTTLE STOPPBR.

N0.475,631. Patented May 24, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. STUKEY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

BOTTLE-STO PPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,631, dated May 24.,1892.

Application filed January 8, 1892. Serial No. 417,397. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. STUKEY,

- stopper of this class of superior construction and arrangement, toform integral with the stopper-disk holding-buttons a casing for thedoubling-point of the wire shank, and in forming said casing not onlygreatly increase the strength and durability of the stopper, but producethereby a form of knob or projection at the inner end of said wire shankor stem which will greatly facilitate the withdrawal of the stopperthrough the bottle-neck when the stopper has been reversed within saidbottle. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents in elevation abottle closed by my improved stopper. Fig. 2 is a detail View, inelevation, of said stopper. Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of thestopper shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an inner end view of the stopper.Fig. 5 is a View in elevation of the tool employed in withdrawing thestopper from the bottle, and Fig. 6 is a similar view of the toolemployed in restoring the stopper to the closed position shown in fulllines in Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

0. represents myimproved stopper, the stem or shank of which, as shownin the drawings, consists of a suitable spring-wire a, doubled at thecenter of its length to form a small loop a at its doubling-point. Fromthis doubling point or loop, the two arms of the stem are continued fora short distance parallel with and abutting against each other, afterwhich they diverge, as shown at of, and are continued outwardly insuitably curved and correspondinglines, as indicated. As shown in thedraw- ;ings, the outer end of each arm of this shank or stem is curvedinward and outward to form hook-shaped terminations which cross eachother, as indicated at a Surrounding the abutting portions of thespring-wire arms, between the doubling and converging point a aremetallic disk-holdin g buttons 1) I). These buttons are formed integral,their bodies being connected by a central tubularneck b and the upperbutton being,as is usual in this class of stoppers, of less diameterthan the lower button. Formed with the lower button I) is a centralshell or projection, which, as shown in the drawings, consists of ashort tubular neck 72 which terminates in a ball-shaped body I), andwhich incases or incloses the doubling point or loop a of the wire shankor stem. As will be observed from this construction, the buttons 6 h andball-shaped shell b are formed integral, which results in the formationof a complete casing of the central and weaker-portion of thestopper-wire. Olamped between the buttons 1) b and encircling thebutton-neck b is a rubber stopper-disk c of greater diameter than thebuttons b b. As is usual in this class of bottle-stoppers, theoutwardly-bent portions formed by the curves in the arms of thespring-wire a serve by spring pressure or engagement against the innersides of the bottle-neck to retain the stopper-disk at the junction ofthe bottleneck and body and thus securely close the latter.

In case it is desired to gain access to the bottle for the purpose ofcleaning the opera tion of removing the stopper entirely from connectionwith the bottle has been as follows: The stopperhas been pressedcompletely within the bottle-body and the bottle so manipulated as tocause the stopper to be reversed or turned end for end within thebottle. In this position it is customary to withdraw the stopper fromthe bottle by engaging theloop a of the wire with a suitable hook anddrawing the stopper through the bottle-neck. The formation of the shortbends necessary to produce the loop a has resulted in weakening the wireto such extent that the latter often breaks at the doubling-point whensubmitted to the strain imparted thereto when the same is drawn throughthe bottle-neck. This difticulty I have remedied by incasing thedoubling point or loop and forming the same into a ballshaped body,which may be easily grasped by thejaws f of suitable pliers. (Shown inFig. 6 of the drawings.) By the use of these pliers the stopper may bereadily withdrawn from the bottle with a direct strain upon the wire atits weakest point. In drawing the stopper back to the closed positionshown in Fig. l of the drawings after it has been forced inward I employthe tool shown in Fig. 6. In using this tool the hook end s thereof isengaged with the crossed stopper-hooks a. It will also be observed thatby forming the buttons b b and the ball-shaped projection integral anytendency of the buttons to become loose upon the wire which theysurround is obviated and 1 leakage is thus prevented.

Having now fully described my invention, whatI claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

In a bottle-stopper, the combination, with the doubled spring-wire stem01/, integrallyformed disk-holding buttons 1) b, surrounding, asdescribed, the adjoining portions of said spring-wire arms, and aball-shaped shell 112 formed integral with said buttons and incasing, asshown and described, the doublingpoint of said stem-wire, substantiallyas and it for the purposespecified.

JOSEPH A. STUKEY.

In presence of- BARTON GRIFFITH, C. C. SHEPHERD.

